


Kunoichi Unleashed

by FoxxyGoddess



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Anime/Manga Fusion, F/M, Female Uzumaki Naruto, Spoilers, full ninja are considered adults, so not exactly underaged
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-19
Updated: 2015-03-16
Packaged: 2018-02-26 07:44:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2643800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoxxyGoddess/pseuds/FoxxyGoddess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just when everything started to look like peace was finally at hand, the universe throws a curve ball.<br/>Naruto didn't understand how it had happened, only that this was a second chance. For everyone, and she was going to do whatever she could to make sure of it. And maybe, just maybe, win the heart of her special someone along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Volume 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Don't own, just wish i did. this story is a mix of the manga and the anime series.  
> a/n: please don't hate me for this. genderswap is just the way my mind works for some reason. i know i shouldn't start this until after i finish my other stories, but that's not gonna happen for a while. so sorry in advance for this taking longer than anyone thought. curse you kakashi, why must you be so distractingly sexy! 
> 
> _naruto's thoughts_  
>  _'naruto_ / **kurama'**  
>  *sound effects/ **time skip***

~*~

Naruto tossed and turned so violently in bed that she practically slammed on to the floor within moments. Dazed, she looked around, recognizing her apartment but something felt off.  
It took a few moments before she noticed what was wrong. She was in her room. Her room in Konoha, not on the battlefield. what happened?  
One second she was standing next to her friends having finally taking down Madara and Obito, when something slammed into her and everything started going black. She remembers someone calling her name as her chakra felt like it was trying to burn her from the inside out. The next thing she knows she's on her bedroom floor.  
Looking around she saw that something was wrong with her room. The pictures of her team and friends were gone, the floor was covered in dirty clothes, and a layer of dust was on almost everything not in between the bed, the closet and the door. Like someone hadn't bothered to clean beyond what was needed to cross the room.  
Raising herself up in the pre-dawn light, Naruto noticed what else had felt off.  
She was over a foot shorter and definitely not female. Which was odd as she remembered removing her henge seal shortly before she left to train with Killer Bee. Revealing her true self first to her closest friends, then the rest of Konoha's shinobi, who then told the rest of the village and all their allies. Showing everyone that the Number 1 Unpredictable Ninja more than deserved her title.  
Naruto looked around the room with a more focused eye, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. Spotting the calendar on the wall, Naruto's jaw dropped at the date.  
 _'kurama, what's going on? kurama? kurama!? KURAMA! answer me!'_  
Naruto focused her chakra inward, stopping cold when she felt the seals appear over her stomach. Her mind racing, she didn't notice the time pass as she put the facts together.  
She was in her eight year old self, on the exact day she first joined the ninja academy. Kurama is deeply asleep behind the seal. Her young body is weak with no jutsu to speak of, she knew that any she might try would be unstable at her current level.  
Somehow she was in the past.  
That thought crashes through her. She's in the past, everyone is alive.  
If this is real then she could do everything over as herself, no more being too weak to save anyone. She knows it's gonna suck to re-teach her body all her jutsus and the grueling training to get back to her level of strength, but it will be more than worth it. It had sucked the first time around but at least she won't have to struggle to understand how anything works, easily cutting her time training in half.  
The more Naruto thinks about it the more excited she gets. If she does this right, she might even prevent the war from ever getting off the ground.  
The hope at that thought sparks a second one. One that has been buried for years, one that she's never even dared to think of. That maybe, this time around she won't have to hide her feelings. That maybe, just maybe, she could have someone to love fully. A certain special someone who just might love her back, jinchuriki and all.  
If nothing else, at least she'll have set the ground work for a better, more meaningful friendship.  
Naruto shook her head to dislodge the thought. No point in getting ahead of herself. First she's got to graduate from the academy. Speaking of, Naruto spotted the clock on the dresser saying that even if she left now, she was going to be at least ten minutes late.  
Cursing, Naruto ran to her closet and pulled on her cleanest clothes as she rushed out the door.  
Pushing what little chakra she could control into the balls of her feet gave Naruto the boost of speed to be only a few minutes late on her first day.  
As Iruka-sensei yelled at her, she couldn't help smirking internally at the feeling of deja vu.  
 _at least i don't have to worry about seeming different. i'm as big a knucklehead now as i was at eight._

~*~

 ***Five Years Later***  
Naruto watched as one by one the other students walked up to the front of the class to be taken to be tested. Knowing that if she wanted she could easily pass the exam a thousand fold helped ease the cold knot in her gut whenever Mizuki looked in her direction.  
It had been hard at first to not just blurt out what she knew about the man and what he was going to do. But it wouldn't really help without proof. The best thing to do is let things continue on as before.  
His false concern always set her on edge but she kept herself in line. She knew it wouldn't take long for him to seek her out after class and 'offer' her a way to pass the exam.  
Naruto fought back a smile as Sasuke walked back into the room, smug at having passed the two tests. The sound of his fangirls cheering at his 'obvious' superior skills making them both wince at the volume. Their friendship was hard won over the past four years. His fangirls didn't like that he was friends with Naruto, a girl that wasn't them. The fact that he was sometimes nicer to them because of her just pissed off more than a few.  
It had taken a few months of 'sparring' with him to get him to see her as anything other than an annoyance at first. And a smack to the head following a flat out refusal of any feelings for the bastard after the class realized that she was actually a girl.  
It's not her fault her jumpsuit was oversized or that she kept her hair cropped short to avoid it from getting caught on anything. If any of the other girls really thought about it instead of mooning over Sasuke, they'd realize the kind of danger they're putting themselves in dressing as they do. Only the ones from ninja families seemed to have put any thought into they're gear and appearance beyond looking pretty.  
The way Naruto equipped herself was not in anyway her fault either, she honestly couldn't afford better gear yet. Not that she didn't take the best of care for all her equipment, they may very well save her life one day.  
Naruto bit back a smirk as she passed the henge with a sexy jutsu first just so see Iruka react. She did the proper henge after he yelled at her, then 'failed' her clone test. Pulling a defeated look, she drudged back to her seat to watch the others finish the exam.  
Now all she had to do was act upset and wait.  
 _i wonder what else is on that forbidden scroll_

~*~

Naruto sat in the forest going over the other techniques in the scroll for countless hours. The sun had set an hour before, her eyes adjusting to the fading light as she reread the secret manuscript.  
Checking the date, she still a little time before her clone 'stole' the scroll. The same clone that had lived her life the past few days, even taking her exam, as she learned all she could from said scroll. Looking it over, she could see why it was forbidden in the first place.  
Of course all that time wasn't used only on the scroll, Naruto had practiced her chakra control. Focusing it in her feet was easiest, giving her boosts of speed to rival Kakashi and Iruka sensei. Her sight was next, not so much in distance as in definition, her night vision was clear as day and she could pick out dust particles from five feet away. Her nose was sometimes sensitive, as was her hearing on occasion.  
No matter how hard she trained, or grueling hand signs she repeated, Naruto had no callouses. Her skin was always smooth and soft all over. Nice as it was, she'd have preferred having rough skin for nothing other than to prevent pain. Her nerves were just under her skin, fresh and awaiting stimulus of one kind or another.  
Feeling a pressure in her head that signaled a dispelled clone, her mind sorted the new memories as she stood. It had released itself after separating from Iruka and Mizuki.  
Strapping the real scroll to her back, Naruto raced off to Iruka's side. Arriving just as Iruka tackled Mizuki, both under henges.  
She rolled her eyes at Mizuki's spiel about how they are two of a kind, only to water a Iruka praises her as a citizen of Konohagakure village.  
Mizuki has barely gone beyond his second step when Naruto barrels into him, his body rolling and bouncing harshly, as her feet skid along the ground gracefully to a stop.  
"Keep away from Iruka ...or I'LL KILL YOU!"  
Not wasting a moment, Naruto uses the art of the dopple ganger holding back at only a thousand. Enjoying the look of shock Naruto unleashes her clones on Mizuki, each getting in a few hits before stepping back to let another have a go.  
After ten minutes Naruto dis-spells them, leaving Mizuki bleeding and broken, but alive, on the ground.  
Naruto is on cloud nine for the rest of the night once Iruka gave her his headband.

~*~

 ***The Next Day***  
Naruto could barely repress the laughter building at the look on the Hokage's face as he looked over her ninja yearbook picture. She just had to hold out for another minute more then she'd hand him the real one.  
"Do it over."  
"I thought you'd say that," Naruto held out the real one as the door slammed open.  
"On guard, ol' man! Right?!"  
Konohamaru came hurtling through the doorway only to trip over air.  
"OWWW----!!!!"  
Naruto just rolled her eyes at his and Ebisu's antics. The kid accusing her of tripping him and Ebisu demanding she release the 'honorable grandson of the third hokage' at once.  
"LIKE I CARE!" Naruto's fist made contact with Konohamaru's head, "You fell over your own feet! Be a man, and own up to your mistakes."  
While he was clutching his head, Naruto walked up and handed over her real ninja yearbook page. "That's all, right?"  
At the Hokage's nod, she turned and left the room completely ignoring Ebisu's rant.  
She noticed Konohamaru following her out of the room and down to the street. Naruto waited till they were down an empty alleyway before she called him on it. "Quit following me, kid," She pointed to the sideways cameo tarp, "I can see you right there."  
"So, you managed to penetrate my disguise!! Right?!!! The rumors of your prowess don't lie!"  
Naruto raised an eyebrow at his words, she'd forgotten how much he liked to talk.  
"Teach me your skills. I'll become your disciple," he demanded. "Yeah! You've gotta teach me that Ninja Centerfold illusion you used on my grandpa. Okay, Chief?!"  
"Fine," Naruto held up her hand to stall his cheer, "But I'm not gonna go easy on you. Be prepared to give it your everything, anything less and I won't even bother saying goodbye. I'll just leave."  
Konohamaru took a deep breath and nodded.

~*~

They spent the next next hour going over basic chakra flow and how to effectively use it to create her jutsu.  
It wasn't really an illusion, but a solid transformation. The jutsu didn't change one's features so much as highlight them, same as with one's figure. The chakra increased and altered one's body mass, bringing estrogen to the forefront. The body remaking itself to it's physical peak of health.  
If the chakra was handled wrong the body suffered, both the new form and the original. Too little chakra; the new form was sickly thin, causing headaches and flushed skin when released. Too much chakra; the body was fatty with possible growths, the after effects being exhaustion and passing out.  
After several failed attempts, Naruto called for a break.

~*~

Despite his declaration of not being rivals, Naruto knew she and Konohamaru would be friends for life. She couldn't wait for the day she passed the title of Hokage on to him.

~*~

 ***The Following Monday***  
Standing at the back of the class waiting for her new sensei, that man is never on time, Naruto fidgeted in her new outfit. As much as she liked her orange jumpsuit, it wasn't really proper ninja attire for a kunoichi or for anyone for that matter. Having the month before the exam scouring the ninja stores in disguise for the perfect combination of functional, comfort, and alluring in orange, Naruto put together an ensemble.  
Finding a black on orange jacket like the one Jiraiya gave her was easier than she'd thought it would be, given it's shade of 'Kill Me' orange. But that was where the similarities ended. This one was more form fitting with hidden pockets along the thick collar. The cuffs having more give without wrinkling, enabling the wearer to slip a weapon in and out of the inner straps with ease.  
Choosing a matching orange short skirt and short wire mesh leggings with black sandals housing hidden razors helped give a more feminine look without putting her at extra risk. Swapping out the worn blue cloth of her headband with a newer black one completed her new look.  
She had stood in front of her mirror for over an hour the night before making sure nothing was wrong with how she looked. She wanted to show she was serious and mature enough to handle being a kunoichi of Konoha while still being her knuckle-headed self.  
Raking her hand through her short wild blonde hair, Naruto didn't bother holding back her laughter after the door opened. She knew that Kakashi had known about the prank and had walked into it anyway. Well, at least the first part with the eraser. He was unaware of the bucket of ice water rigged on the roof, it moving too quickly for him to fully avoid it dumping it's contents on his face when team seven sat down. Naruto smiled as she handed him the towel she had brought for him.  
Now that definitely got his attention.  
She knew he was going to be going over every little detail, trying to figure out how she had rigged it to blend in with the building to the point that he hadn't noticed til it was too late to do anything but take it. And how she had gotten it set up on the roof in time.  
Once he was mostly dry the introductions were made, basically the same as before. Kakashi refusing to share anything other than his name.  
Sakura giggling madly as she glanced at Sasuke and glaring at Naruto as she loudly announced what she hated.  
Sasuke with his need to avenge his family though less intense than the first time around. Their brother/sister friendship helping to calm his hate down some.  
Naruto still wanted to be Hokage someday, but not as obsessed with the idea as before. She was still confident in her dream. She wanted to be Hokage, not to be the best, but to be strong enough to protect her family, her precious people. Because being Hokage meant everyone in the village was your family.  
All three stared quietly at her words. The two genin in stunned awe, while the jonin looked on in interest. Naruto couldn't stop the blush from covering her face at his look. The others just wouldn't stop staring either.  
It was with relief that they were dismissed until tomorrow morning for the survival exercises, Naruto fleeing as soon as she could.  
 _'god, my face still feels like it's on fire. i hope it isn't as bad for the bell test'_

~*~

Naruto winced as Kakashi use the 'One Thousand Years of Death Jutsu' on her. The chakra infused with his fingers creating a unique reaction. It being used as both like a cannon, propelling whatever it touched with the force of a bullet, and a razor sharp blade, cutting through most barriers, physical or chakra made. And he used it as the former on her.  
Well, more like her clone. Which is what gave her time to spring from the ground and tackle him with five more clones. Which he then easily destroyed as her hand snapped out, 'missing' the bells.  
Kakashi turned and was gone from the clearing, the sound of jingling fading.  
Despite the failure, Naruto was grinning like a loon.  
"Touched it!"  
She could just see her sensei cursing to himself for letting a genin, fresh from the academy no less, get that close.  
 _'might as well let the others have a try'_  
Naruto let her senses reach out. She didn't bother trying to find Kakashi, she always knew where the man basically was.  
She easily found Sakura in the bushes to the left and Sasuke in the trees to the right. Having already offered to team up with both of them, Naruto was shot down both times. Sasuke wanting to prove to himself he could this on his own, and Sakura refusing out of spite.  
Vanishing, Naruto thought over what she could do at twelve and what she was really capable of. She had been training for the past five years in secret for a reason.  
She had started with the basics first. Tree walking then water walking, which progressed to more extreme means of chakra control. Walking up a waterfall was a lot harder than it looker. Not that she needed help much, Naruto knew her level of control was naturally better than most people. It just came with being a jinchuriki. Still she trained for when her chakra flow would be hindered or weakened.  
She couldn't practice the rasengan beyond the first and second stage. To form a full one would draw too much attention. To her relief, all the practice gave her better control of the flow and force of the chakra. She no longer needed a second pair of hands to perform the jutsu. Not that she wasn't going to do so, best to kept a few things up her sleeve until absolutely necessary.  
All those years of pranking then running from an angry Iruka and ninja instructors afterwards had given Naruto some very good stealth skills. Doing so again with the intent of sharpening those skills made it impossible for anyone to find her if she didn't want them to.  
Her sealing jutsu to hide her chakra was untraceable. Not even the ANBU could find her when she wanted to be alone.  
She had become interested in seals after learning that both her parents had worked to make the seal she had. Naruto hadn't had a means of learning fuinjutsu what with the Akatsuki, Pein, rebuilding of Konoha and the war against Madara and Obito at the time. She spent from the first days of the academy getting her hands on anything to do with seals that she could find, without drawing suspicion.  
She wasn't anywhere near their level, but she was more than capable of making her own seals as needed. Her exploding tags still had a little too much power to use in anything other than open spaces.  
After studying how weapon scrolls worked Naruto was able to create a seal to house weapons on the body invisibly. She had one resting at the base of each of her palms, loaded with shuriken, kunai, and her special smoke pellets. She a had placed a third just above her left hip under her dominant hand for medical supplies.  
Hearing a scream, Naruto sent out a clone to act as a decoy as she made the hand sign that triggered her chakra hiding jutsu. Rushing through the trees silently to Sakura's position, she stopped short at the sight before her.  
Sasuke's head was sticking out of the ground, glaring at the fainted kunoichi in front of him. Biting her lip hard enough to bleed, Naruto sped away before her laughter could escape.  
Returning to where she's left the clone then trailing after it, she came upon a familiar sight.  
Herself being caught trying to sneak some lunch by Kakashi. Who proceeded to tie her to the wooden post with the alarm on it.  
Smiling, Naruto kept out of sight. It seems not even the great Kakashi Hatake could tell the difference between her and her clones. Knowing what was coming next, Naruto left the clone there and ran off to grab a large lunch for her team.  
Having eaten a small breakfast earlier, Naruto headed straight for the shops that sold her team's favorites, dango for Sasuke and sweet egg rolls for Sakura. For Kakashi, tea cakes, as that is the only thing she has ever seen him eat by choice.  
She returned just in time to hear Kakashi fail them completely. She froze a distance away, the memory of being on the receiving end of that still giving her chills years later.

~*~


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _naruto's thoughts_  
>  ' _naruto_ / **kurama** '  
> *sound effects/ **time skip** *

Naruto snapped out of her daze at the sound of her clone defending herself and the others.

"That's not fair! We're nowhere near your level!" the clone yelled from her restraints, "We _just_ got put with each other as a team. I mean, you can't honestly expect us to just fit seamlessly together as a team just like that." 

Naruto's clone huffed, "I get that we can't always work with those we're familiar with and we have to learn to adapt to new fighting styles, but this is literally the first time the three of us have ever really had to mix with each other's style. We're a team, we'll work out the kinks as we go along. So please, give us another chance Kakashi sensei." The clone looked like she was going to cry if he said no.

"She's right." Sasuke said after a moment of silence following the blonde's outburst. As he looked to their instructor with determination. "She and I may spar on occassion, but we've never really tried combining our fighting styles before."

"Fine."

The three genin looked on in shock as Kakashi continued, "After lunch I'll let you try the bell test again. Here," he handed both Sasuke and Sakura the bento boxes.

"What about Naruto?" Sakura couldn't help but ask.

"Since she tried to eat before the test was over, she goes without. She brought this on herself. And if either of you shares with her you fail the test right there." 

He stared at both of them with an ominus look in his eye, "My word is law. Do you understand?" Vanishing in a whirl of leaves, Kakashi's words hung over the students heads.

Not even a minute passes before "Here," Sasuke held out his lunch toward Naruto, "You can have half. You'll never stop complaining with an empty stomach."

Looking nervously around for their sensei then at her own lunch, Sakura offers half of her own, "I"m on a diet anyway. Might as well not let it go to waste."

*BOOM!*

Both Sasuke and Sakura freeze at the sight of Kakashi standing in front of them.

"You..." both flinch expecting the worst, "...pass!"

Naruto almost flinches at the sound of their heads snapping up. Even at the distance she's at, she can hear it clearly.

"What?"

"Huh?"

"You pass." Kakashi eye smiled at his students.

"But you said.."

Kakashi just kept on eye smiling, "I know what I said. And you disobeyed... for your team." 

"But..?"

"Those who disobey orders are scum, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum," Naruto decided to reveal herself as she listened to her clone speak. "That's why none of the other genin pass your test, isn't it? You tell them that only two can pass, if they get a bell. But the only way to do that is by working together, right?"

"The test isn't about getting the bells. It's about thinking outside the box, looking underneath the underneath. We're put in teams of three or more for a reason." The clone said before disspelling itself.

"We work as one, covering each other's backs. Each of our strengths making up for the other's weaknesses." Naruto walked forward as she talked until she is standing a few feet away from her team.

Sakura seemed to be in shock, her eyes unblinking as she stared, her mouth moving but no sound coming out. Sasuke returned to himself quicker and just 'hnn'ed at the blonde for tricking him once again with her clones.

The only sign that their sensei was effected was his blink at her appearance. To the others it went unnoticed, but to Naruto who had know the man for years, it was a neon sign saying 'what the?!'. Not that he'd ever let it show.

"Whose hungry?" Naruto held out the food she'd brought, smiling widely. "There's plenty for everyone." 

 

~*~

 

* **A Week Later After A Mission** *

After eating five bowls at Ichiraku's for lunch, Naruto went home to finish preparing. She leisurely went through her gear seeing what she wanted to have ready for the mission to Wave the next day, what needed cleaning, and what had to be replaced. 

Not that the others knew about the mission. She had got them to also, unknowingly, prepare by mentioning wanting to check over her things that morning, for just in case.

Looking into her weapons pouch, Naruto let out a sigh. More than half her kunai were beyond fixing, a few having been in not so good shape to begin with. No amount of maintenance was going to help them now. Putting them in a pile to her left, Naruto continued on with her sorting. A third of her shuriken were in the same state.

The only things she has that are in good condition are her, relatively normal, twin ninja fans and the bare necessities of her travel pack. Though it looks like she might have to update her med kit. She might not really need much beyond a few bandages here and there, but her teammates were going to need a lot more to survive.

Once she is finished, Naruto gathered up the no longer usable items to give back to the store. It's not like she could just throw it away. Sometimes the shop owners will exchange older broken items for newer used ones.

A few blocks from the stores she prefered, Naruto ducked into an alley and preformed a henge. Out of the alley stepped a plain looking brown haired, brown eyed female of about late teens to early twenties in age, wearing non-descript civilian clothes. 

Naruto knows how people saw her at this time, unwilling to sell her anything but the worse they have to offer. It wasn't that hard to just transform and say her little sister or cousin had joined the academy, and that she wanted to show her sister/cousin that she supported her choice by paying for what she needed instead of their parents/relatives.

After that it was easy for Naruto to talk to the shopkeepers into selling her the proper things she needed. Trading the 30 kunai and 7 shuriken for new ones at half price. Naruto decided on 20 kunai and 17 shuriken to replace the damaged ones.

The next store was for ninja apparel. She bought two new pairs of wire mesh leggins, a pair of mesh shirts, and a second pair of sandals with hidden razors.

At the last place Naruto picked up antibiotics, burn cream, pain relievers, fever reducers, and double the bandages she already had.

Finished with her supply run, Naruto dropped the henge back in the same alley and makes her way home to pack her gear how she wants it and to do her strength regimen. She is a lot stronger than before, but still nowhere near what she was used to, despite all the time that had passed since waking up in the past.

 

~*~

 

* **The Next Day** *

Naruto watched as Tiger was 'reunited' with his owner. She actually felt sad for him this time around, though only because she had got Sasuke to catch the little terror. One glance to the side has her fighting back giggles at the scratches on his face.

"Now, the next assignment for Kakashi's Team Seven will be..." The hokage looked over the assignment roster, "Hmm... To babysit for the Council of Elders... To run errands to the neighboring village... To help dig sweet potates........."

"No Way! No Thank You!!" Naruto made an X with her arms as she 'declined' forcefully, "Give us something different to do! Something actually important!"

"Don't be a fool--!!" Iruka stood as he shouted.

"We're just beginners! I know!" Naruto interrupts. "We're genin, we're at the bottom. We only get D ranked or maybe certain C ranked missions. A rank and B rank are for jonin and chunin because of the level of difficulty. I'm not asking for that..." Naruto looks at the hokage directly, "How can I prove that I'm more than just a troublemaking screwup everyone thinks I am? How can we, as a team, show we're deserving of being real ninja? If you won't let us prove it?" her hand gesturing to her team as she speaks.

"Very well. Since you put it that way..." the hokage smirked. "I will permit you to attempt a C ranked task - usually reserved for chunin - the protection of a certain individual..."

"All right!" Naruto says as her team stands in silent surprise of the hokage's change of heart.

"Please invite him in..."

Tazuna the bridge builder shoved the door open and leaned on the frame as he looked them over. "What's going on here? They look like a bunch of wetnosed brats," he took a swig of his drink. "Especially the midget. She's got the face of an imbecile. It's a joke right? You kids aren't really ninja, are you?"

Naruto can't not react to the midget comment. Making the hand sign, Naruto henge'd into her adult self. But with ankle lenth hair and a floral print summer kimono. Placing her hand on her hip and cocking it as she asks, "Who you calling a midget, geezer? I'm all woman." Naruto flips her hair over her shoulder and smirks seductively.

Tazuna choked on his drink and turned beet red as he gasped for air. It was hilarious.

The reaction to everyone in the room was no less funny. 

Team Seven was standing there in silence. Sasuke turned pink at the sight of her, Sakura looked on in awe, and Kakashi just stared at her figure. 

The rest of the those in the room were just gobsmacked.

 

~*~

 

Naruto had listened to the introductions as her young self, then raced off to grab her gear at Kakashi's go ahead. She had everything ready, so it wasn't long before she is standing at the gates waiting for the others. She is still bouncing in place 20 minutes later when the others start showing up.

"What's got you so excited?" Sasuke asked as he walked up with Sakura not far behind.

"This is our first mission outside the village! Aren't you excited about that? All the things we'll get to see and do!" Naruto didn't take offense to his snort, she knew he is just as happy to be on a real mission as she is. 

As the last two joined them, Naruto headed for the gate with even more of a spring in her step.

"Am I really expected to place my life in the hands of this fool?" Tazuna said as all five of them walked through the gate. 

Sighing loudly, Kakashi responded, "There's no call for concern. I'm an elite ninja, and I'll be along, too..."

She let their words slide off her as she began sensing outward for the enemy that was laying in wait for then.

After half an hour, Sakura started up a conversation about the other countries and the hidden villages within them. Which turned into a talk about the kages.

"Really? Lord Hokage is **so** amazing!" Sakura said.

"You obviously don't really think so." Kakashi called her on her lie.

Naruto snickers to herself as she notices both of the enemy hiding in a puddle. She also saw that Sasuke had seen Tazuna's gulp at Kakashi's reassurance that they wouldn't run into any enemy ninja.

Not ten feet from the puddle, they showed themselves by attacking Kakashi. 

The chain of shuriken wrapped tightly around him. Knowing he'd be okay didn't stop the clench of her heart as Naruto watchs his 'body' is cut to bloody pieces.

In an instant they were behind Naruto. Not wasting a second, Naruto threw a shuriken to pin the chain to a tree. Sasuke jumped as she reacted and threw a kunai to lock it in place. He landed on the enemies' extended arms, then balancing on his hands he kicked them both in the face.

The enemy ninja severed the chain and leap to the sides. One aimed for Naruto, the other went for Tazuna.

Sakura placed herself infont of him. "Stand Back, Sir!!" Seeing this Sasuke moved, blocking the incoming attack.

The enemy was on the ground the next second, thanks to Kakashi clothes-lining him in the neck.

It was only as they saw that he had taken down one, that the others looked to see if Naruto was ok. She had taken the enemy's poisoned claws to the hand to hide the movement of her other one. The force of the blow to the enemy ninja's midsection made him fall back several feet. Following, she knocked him unconcious before he could recover or counter.

"Need a hand, Naruto?" Sasuke said sarcasticly as he nodded to her bleeding hand.

"Applause is always welcome," Naruto banters back.

"Naruto, this is not the time for banter. Their claws are poisoned. We have to clean that wound as soon as possible," Kakashi said sternly as he lifted both enemies to tie them up.

"Nah, I'm good," Naruto sealed her mouth over the wound. Sucking, then spitting out the tainted blood, she smiles. "See, all better," wiping the blood from her mouth with her uninjured hand, she held out the other for Kakashi to see that the wound is already starting to close.

"Naruto, you idiot! That's no way to treat a poisoned wound!" Sakura screeched. "What if you swallowed some of it! There's now way to get it out then!"

"Relax, Sakura. I'll be fine if that happens. I'm poison proof," Naruto reassured the pinkette. "If it's strong enough to effect me, the most it'll do is make me hot and achey, like having a fever. Even then, it'll pass after an hour or so and I'll be right as rain. Promise."

Naruto returns her focus back toward the now unconcious enemy, ignoring Sakura's disbelieving look. She held back a smirk at the sound of the pinkette's 'What?!' as Sasuke confirmed Naruto's poison resistance.

 

~*~

 

* **Several Hours Later** *

Naruto let the lapping of water against the boat calm her as Team Seven and their client made their way to the Land of Waves. She had listened with half an ear to Tazuna's explanation and the guilt trip that followed the attack in the forest.

_kakashi is such a softy sometimes_

Naruto watched as they passed the bridge under the cover of fog. Slowly, so as not to attract attention, the boat soundlessly passed under the archway and through the mangroves. 

The fog faded as they reached shore. Naruto didn't listen to the boatman talk with Tazuna, she focused on the two chakra points she could feel in the distance.

_haku and zabuza_

*rustle*

Not ten minutes of walking, Naruto flung out a shuriken. It imbedded itself right above the head of a white snow hare.

"Naruto! Look what you did!" Sakura yelled, looking like she was going to hit the blonde. 

"Sheesh, no need to freak out," Naruto says as she points at it. "See the color of its fur? It turns white for winter, but it's still spring. Its a decoy that was kept away from a lot of sunshine, indoors, like a pet."

Kakashi raised a brow at the similarity of Naruto's assesment with his own.

"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Sakura responded. "You just don't want to admit you attacked an innocent rabbit."

*shh*

The near silent noise alerting both Naruto and Kakashi to the approach of the enemy.

"Everyone take cover!!" Kakashi shouted as he ducked down.

Sasuke pulling Tazuna down as Naruto tackled Sakura out of the spinning sword's path.

*shuk*

The sword caught in the trunk of a tree, its wielder standing on the hilt. Zabuza's eyes zeroing in on Kakashi.

"Well, well... If it isn't Momochi Zabuza, the kid who ran off and left the Land of the Mist!" Kakashi called up to the man. 

Watching the way the two stared at each other, Naruto calls over her shoulder to the others, "Let's give them some room. This one is on a different plane from the other two. It's best if we let Kakashi handle it, for now."

Sasuke and Sakura looked on in worry, but backed away cautiously with Tazuna behind them.

"This may get a little rough," Kakashi said as he reached up to lift his headband. 

"Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye, I presume? If it wouldn't be too much trouble..." Zabuza asked from a top his sword handle, "could you surrender the old man?"

"Assume the Manji Battle Formation! Protect Tazuna. That's the kind of teamwork this situation demands," Kakashi called over his shoulder. 

"And now... Zabuza..." Kakashi pulled his headband up, his left eye red with three marks swirling around the pupil, "Shall we?!"

"Ahh... To face the legendary Mirror-Wheel Eye so early in our acquaintance... This is an honor..." Zabuza said almost mockingly.

"You keep calling it a mirror eye, a sharingan eye..." Sakura asked, unable to keep her thoughts to herself, "What is it?"

Naruto zoned out Sasuke's explanation, having heard it before, she focused on Haku's position farther back. Naruto thought over how the fight had gone down the first time, alternate moves forming in her mind by the time the conversation got back on track.

From his perch, Zabuza cut off any chance of more questions, "Enough. Pleasant as this conversation has been... the time for talk is over. I'm on a very tight schedule to polish off the old man."

Team Seven took up their positions at those words with Kakashi at the front.

"But... Kakashi... it looks like I'm going to have to kill you first." Zabuza jumped with his sword from the tree on to a near by river. Casting a jutsu to conseal everything in a fog as he landed.

Closing her eyes, Naruto focused all her other senses solely on Zabuza as he moved through the mist.

*clunk*

Naruto had a kunai pressed against the hilt of Zabuza's weapon, preventing him from swinging it, as he appeared in the middle of the group. Not even a second later Kakashi's own was buried in the man's torso as the rest of the group scrambled away. A second Zabuza swung at Kakashi from behind, slicing him in half.

"EYAAAH!!!" Sakura screamed at the sight before the body burst into water.

"Don't move..." Kakashi held a kunai to Zabuza's neck, "Game over."

Naruto pulled out shuriken as the two men talked, aiming at the man behind Kakashi as the water dopple-ganger dispelled. The move giving Kakashi a half second to brace for what came next.

The kick sent Kakashi into the river where a trap was waiting for him. 

"Heh-heh-heh... That prison is inescapable. You're trapped. You running around free makes it too hard for me to do my job. I'll finish you later..." Zabuza made the hand sign for making clones, "After I've dealt with the others..."

A second Zabuza appeared on the riverbank. Before the others could blink, the clone was dodging shuriken. Naruto's actions forced him to a greater distance from his target. 

"GET BACK!" Naruto screams over her shoulder, "If his doppleganger gets too far from his real body, he'll lose control of it! Sakura get Tazuna as far back as you can without leaving our range of sight. Saksuke, I've got a plan." Naruto stood between both Zabuzas and the rest of her team.

"Hmf... So, it's time for some teamwork?" Sasuke asked, sounding a little miffed that she got the drop on the enemy before him again.

"Time for us to rock n' roll!" she didn't bother repressing the smirk she felt.

Naruto didn't so much as flinch as Zabuza recounted his past, calling all of them brats instead of ninja. 

She shoved Sasuke out of the way as her kunai cut into the arm meant for him. In a flash, she made thirty clones and sent them after Zabuza. As he sent them back, Naruto tossed Sasuke a folded wind shuriken.

The moment he grabbed it, Sasuke knew what her plan was. Unfolding it, Sasuke called the weapon by its name to help mask their plan. Sasuke jumped and swung it with all his might past the clone toward the real Zabuza.

Zabuza congradulated him on aiming at the true enemy as he caught the weapon, only to spot the second shuriken. He jumped to dodge it, only for the henge to drop a few feet behind him. Naruto threw the kunai at the man's face, forcing him to move away from Kakashi. 

Before he could turn to swing the shuriken, a second kunai forced him farther back with a growl.

"You ok, Sensei?" Naruto asked as she smiled, never taking her eyes from the enemy.

"Your scheme was brilliant," Kakashi's eyes never left Zabuza's face either, "You've matured... all of you."

Naruto swam her way to the shore as Kakashi and Zabuza got to fighting seriously. She secretly uses one of her fans to lessen the force of the backlash from the giant waterfall jutsu Kakashi used to pin Zabuza to a tree, then with kunai.

Naruto felt Haku approach the battle looking for the right time to strike. The battle was over, Zabuza would 'die' by Haku's hand.

Kakashi landed in a branch above Zabuza's trapped body, "That's that..."

With the jutsu released, the water returned to the river, leaving a new, small inlet in its place.

"...What... can you see the future...?"

"I foresee..." Kakashi lifted his kunai as he spoke, "...your death."

*fwut* *fwut*

*chuck* *chuck*

Two senbon landed in Zabuza's neck. Their positions non-fatal, but giving the illusion of death as he fell to the ground.

"Heh heh... Your prediction came true."

The voice came from Haku, his face behind a shinobi hunter's mask, standing atop a branch in a tree close by. 

Naruto stands back and watchs as Kakashi checked for Zabuza's vitals. When he doesn't find any, she watchs the scene unfold before her. 

Last time, she'd let her confusion get the better of her, now it was Sakura that wanted answers.

though with less yelling

Kakashi patted Naruto's head as he answerd, as if to offer assurance. But Naruto could feel the tremble in his arm warning that his body was going to give out soon.

Once Haku vanished with Zabuza's body, Kakashi pulled down his headband. "Now! We still have to escort Mr. Tazuna the rest of the way to his home. Let's put our best feet forward!" Kakashi tried to sound cheerful.

"HA HA HAH! You poor kids, you must be so humiliated!" Tazuna laughed, hoping to help lighten the mood, "But never mind. You can lick your wounds at my house."

The next second, Naruto is catching her sensei as he loses the ability to even stand. 

"What's Happening?" 

"Kakashi sensei!!"

Kakashi is slumped against her shoulder for only a moment or so, Naruto shifting him to a different position so she can carry him piggyback style. "I think it's best we get to the old man's house as soon as possible, right?"

 

~*~

Though the welcome was less than warm, no one complained as they set up a spot for Kakashi to rest. She helps Sakura with patching up Kakashi as the other two tell Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter, what happened. Naruto removes, from a seal in her med kit, crutches for Kakashi's leg, knowing he'll need them later. 

"Are you all right, Teacher?!" Tsunami asked as Kakashi finally got to lay down and rest.

"No, but I will be.. in about a week..." Nruato zoned out most of the following conversation about shinobi hunters and her team's discomfort of such things. Like a switch going off, Naruto knew the exact moment Zabuza regained conciousness.

 

~*~

 

* **Later That Day** *

She doesn't bother telling Sakura that in no way is she ever going to see under Kakashi's mask, just because he's taking a nap does not mean he is unaware of his surroundings.

"EEEEK--!!" Sakura's shriek as she and Sasuke moved back from Kakashi's bed was nearly earsplitting. The noise drew Tsunami from the kitchen.

"Oh, Master Kakashi, are you awake?"

"..." Kakashi was lost in his own thoughts, not hearing Tsunami's question.

"Zabuza isn't dead, is he?" Naruto's words caused Sakura and Tazuna to go into shock. Neither one knew what to say as Kakashi gave his agreement. "It's because the hunter took the whole body, right?"

"A shinobi hunter only needs the head as proof that he made the kill. They're suppose to destroy the bodies of those they kill right on the spot. And... there is the mystery surrounding the weapons that the hunter used to dispatch his prey..."

"Senbon... Acupuncture needles, there only deadly if you hit the right spot," Naruto could see Sasuke easily connecting the dots as her and Kakashi had, finishing her thoughts, "But if you know how, you can put someone into a death like trance."

"Aren't you just complicating things by over-thinking them? Shinobi hunters are supposed to hunt outlaw shinobi, right?" Tazuna asked in hope that what their were talking about wasn't true. 

"Uuuusually..." drawing out the word, Kakashi stated an obvious fact, "But ignoring something that smells this fishy is a great first step to being caught completely unprepared. And preparation is a shinobi's most important skill!" 

"Oh, well. Whether Zabuza is dead or alive..." Letting that sink in, he changed direction, "There may still be more and even deadlier ninja in the service of your enemy, Gato."

"Sensei! You said, 'Preparation is a shinobi's most important skill,' but right now you can't even move. What are you going to do?" Sakura had to ask, never liking not knowing things.

"Heh heh..." Kakashi's slightly evil chuckle set Naruto's nerves on edge. "I'm going to increase your training schedule!" he answered cheerfully.

"What?!... Training?!!..." Naruto cover her ears just before Sakura's voice could reach inhuman levels, " **BUT KAKASHI-SENSEI, WHAT WILL A LITTLE EXTRA TRAINING NOW MATTER WITH WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST?!! OUR OPPONENT IS A NINJA SO POWERFUL THAT EVEN WITH YOUR SHARINGAN MIRROR-EYE POWER, HE ALMOST HAD YOU!** "

"And when I was beleaguered, Sakura... think about who it was that rescued me..." he countered, "You three all are maturing, progressing rapidly, your powers growing exponentially... Especially **yours** , Naruto!" Kakashi giving her an eye smile to go with his words. "You've grown the most!"

Naruto just blinked, her entire face going red. _stop blushing you idiot!_

"But that being said, the skills I teach you now will be an interim thing ony, to tide us over until I recover enough to take over..."

"But, Sensei! Even if Zabuza is alive, how can we train without knowing when he may return and strike again?" Sakura again asking the questions that Naruto already knew the answers to and Sasuke refused to ask in fear of looking like a clueless idiot.

"An excellent question... But once a person has been into a near-death trance, it is ouite some time before their body returns to its previous state of health and readiness."

"So we train while we wait," Naruto summrized. "This is gonna be fun!"

"It won't be fun for **you**." Inari seemed to pop out of nowhere, starling eveyone but Naruto and Kakashi.

"Inari!!" Tazuna shouted worriedly, "Where have you been?!!"

"Welcome home..." Inari slipped off his shoes as he greeted the old man "Grandpa..."

"Inari, greet our gusets properly!" Tsunami scolded as Inari hugged his grandpa. "They're the esteemed ninja who brought your grangfather safely home!"

Inari looked at them then pointed, "But, Mama, they're all gonna die. No one can beat Gato and his men."

Naruto stood and looked Inari in the eye, "Listen up kid, I'm gonna be Hokage one day! You know what that is? The fire shadow that watches over the entire village. The Hokage is a hero to everyone who lives there. Gato? That guy is nothing but a coward, hiding behind anyone his money can buy. No way will I ever let myself be beaten by a loser like that!"

"'Hero'? You're dumb! There's no such thing!" Turning, Inari walked to the door, "If you don't wanna die, go home now..."

"Where are you off to, Inari?"

"I'm going to watch the ocean from my room..." the boy slamming the door behind him.

"Please forgive him..." Tazuna asked.

Sighing, Naruto shook her head, "There's nothing to forgive, I've been there." She could feel the others eyes on her, questioning, but she kept silent for the rest of the night.

 

~*~

 

* **The Following Morning** *

"So' it's decided. The new training regimen begins today!" Kakashi said as he chose an open place to start practicing. "But first, let's discuss the basis of your ninja powers... The body energies known as _chakras_ "

" _Chakras_ are the energies needed for a shinobi to perform _ninjutsu_." Naruto smiled at the look of surprise on her team's faces, "One is the body, drawn from the cells that make up the body. The other is the mind. That is a combination of the mental and spiritual energy ones gains through training. Together they form _chakra_ , which is then focused through 'signs' to use _ninjutsu_. We're out here because we're not using our _chakras_ as well as we should?" she looked to Kakashi's blank face as she asks.

"That's correct on both. No matter how great the amount of _chakra_ you summon and manipulate... If you can maintain your balance, whatever the technique, not only will the effectiveness of your maneuver be cut in half. But you could blunder so badly the spell may not be released at all. And because you end up squandering your energies, you not only lack the stamina for a protracted fight, but you also develop significant vulnerabilities," Kakashi looking at each of his students as he spoke. "I'm going to teach you to control your body through the harshest training... Go out on a limb, and learn from experience."

Sakura started to sweat at the idea, "How do we do that?"

"How?" Kakashi help up one finger, "We climb trees!"

_i was right, this is gonna be fun_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> any issues with grammar, spelling, or anything really, please point it out so I can fix the problem.  
> no flames please, they make me sad. :-(  
> new chapter soon, I hope!

**Author's Note:**

> a/n: what do you think?


End file.
